The Storybrooke Residents Watch Disney Movies
by I 4 2 write
Summary: Henry knows his Grandpa Rumple and his mother's boyfriend do NOT get along. Hoping to change that, he invites them both for a get together. But what to do during that time? What starts out as a certain pirate wanting to finally see the movie version of his life soon becomes a weekly routine, with all the main characters eventually seeing their movies. Cannon pairings
1. watching Peter Pan

It was a quiet evening for once in Storybrooke. There were no dark curses that needed breaking, no wicked witches, just a pleasant evening in a normal town. Henry had the feeling things wouldn't stay that way. It was looking more and more certain that Emma was going to marry Killian. Henry was happy about that, but he knew one member of his family wouldn't be. His grandpa and Killian had hated each other for literally centuries. That had to stop. Operation Wolf Pack was under way, with Emma there just to be on the safe side.

Both men arrived early in the evening, exchanging glares of hate but not making any snide remarks. Yet. Henry was grateful for that, but any hope of a pleasant evening vanished when they tried to decide on an activity.

"I still haven't seen the movie I'm supposedly in," the pirate commented.

"Um, you might not want to see that," Henry advised.

"I wouldn't exactly care for seeing a movie about him, or dear old dad," Rumple added.

"If we're watching a movie there's a lot of choices on Netflix." Emma was not looking forward to the day Killian would see that movie.

"It can't be that bad," he insisted. "And I have the right to know what people think I'm like."

A grin was coming over Rumple's face.

"You know, I may like to see this movie after all."

So it was decided. Henry put the dvd in since the pirate was still clueless with technology. Skipping the previews, the four of them sat back and let the movie start. From the opening line it was clear how this would go.

"All off this has happened before, and it will all happen again," the narrator began.

"Let's bloody hope not," Hook mumbled as the others shushed him.

It was peaceful enough watching it show the Darling family. Rumple knew they'd been good to Bae, taking him in and giving him a home. Everyone looked with disgust at the boys playing at Peter Pan fighting Hook.

"So he kidnaps children, takes them to his island of torture, but he's the hero and I'm the villain in this thing?"

Rumple might have made a comment about his worthless father, but was distracted when Mr. Darling was angrily ranting, referring to "Captain Crook." Hook was annoyed, but didn't look Rumple's way and see him smirking. For the next few scenes everyone was mostly just frustrated at the inaccuracy.

"Since when were Pan and Tinker Belle friends? And Wendy had better sense than to just go with him that way."

"It fits though that he'd take her so he can hear stories about himself," Rumple commented.

The journey to Neverland was shown as a magical flight someone would have in their best dream, far from the nightmare it really was when Pan's shadow took a child. Everyone looked at Henry, as if afraid somehow Pan would return for him, but the next scene took their minds off that worry. The Jolly Roger came into view, and her captain sat back with a relaxed smile.

"Now we're getting to the good part."

The pirates were singing happily about how wonderful being a pirate was, but when the image zoomed in it showed they were throwing daggers at a drawing of their captain. He stared in shock.

"So _why exactly_ does my crew hate me?"

"Because you're obsessed with hunting down Pan instead of setting out to sea," Henry explained.

"I never even cared about what Pan was up to until after we went to Neverland to get you back! Who made this thing?"

"A man named Walt Disney," Henry answered.

"Whatever happened to him?"

"He died a long time ago."

"Too bad. I'd like to have had a word with him."

"Be quiet and watch already," Rumple told the pirate sharply. 'You're the one who wanted to watch this."

There was no way he was keeping quiet when he finally saw the onscreen version of himself. If it wasn't for the Hook hand he never would have believed that was him.

"That- that is not me! Look at that mustache! It sticks out at least a foot on each side! And that hair does not belong on a man!" He ran his hand over his own hair and face as if reassuring himself he didn't really look like that.

"I warned you he had a waxed mustache and a perm,' Emma reminded him.

"But you didn't say what a perm was! And shut up Crocodile!"

Rumple hadn't made a sound, but was shaking so hard with laughter there was no hiding it.

"I think I'm going to like this movie after all," he commented when he finally stopped laughing.

More inaccuracies followed, such as Pan being the one who cut off Hook's hand. Rumple was starting to be annoyed, wondering if he was in this movie at all until Hook referred to Pan feeding his hand to the crocodile. Just when Rumple wondered if he was going to be portrayed as a cannibal or something in this thing, the crocodile himself came on screen.

'Well at least they have one of us drawn correctly," the pirate smirked. "Actually, too bad you don't resemble the drawing more. You'd look better."

With a snap of his fingers, there was definitely one of them who looked like his cartoon self. Hook didn't feel different, but he could see he was dressed in the frilly red outfit. Running his hand over his face and hair again he couldn't help noticing the pointed mustache and long hair. He jumped up in as much alarm as if he's been shot at.

"Undo that right now Crocodile!"

"Oh but it's such an improvement, Dearie."

The two would have tried killing each other then and there if Henry hadn't intervened and Emma hadn't quickly put up a shield between them.

"Grandpa, this was supposed to be a nice get together. Just turn him back "

Reluctantly, Rumple reversed the spell.

"A bit vain, aren't you Captain? Worried what Miss Swan would think of you?"

'No," he denied. "She knows I'm devilishly handsome. Right Emma?" No answer. "Emma?" Still no answer. 'Swan!"

Now everyone except him was laughing.

"Relax Killian," She snuggled closer. "It's only a movie."

His relaxing lasted about two seconds before the movie Hook started climbing up Mr. Schmee, begging to be saved from the crocodile.

"I spent all that time trying to kill him, and now people think I run in terror of him!"

"Don't worry. Schmee will always protect you from me," Rumple couldn't help putting in.

"Shut up! At least I'm man enough to fight for what I want."

"That's a man?" Rumple gestured to the movie.

"That isn't me and you know it."

Things didn't go better for him when his cartoon self kidnapped Tiger Lily.

"As if I would do that. The whole reason I became a pirate was because at least there's honor among thieves."

"Because stealing other men's wives, and shooting a woman is honorable," Rumple added.

"I didn't kill the woman you love, and it was Milah's choice."

Of course, they had to show Pan as the hero, imitating Hook's voice to convince Schmee to free Tiger Lily and adding to tell the crew to help themselves to help themselves to Hook's best rum.

"Why am I not surprised there's a supply of rum on board?" Rumple couldn't resist putting in.

Luckily what was happening on the screen distracted them. It was the fight that ensued between Pan and Hook on Skull Rock. For a moment, the two old enemies were on the same side as they encouraged he movie pirate. The pirate looked at Rumple in surprise.

"You're fighting him. In this case, it's the lesser of two evils," he explained.

Unfortunately, it ended with Hook hanging on by just his hook about to fall into the water. Pan stood over him and said "What have we here? A codfish on a hook."

Rumple started to laugh and Hook glared at him.

"Don't even think of ever calling me that."

"When you've never called me anything except Crocodile?"

To his credit, Rumple did resist calling him a codfish, but no one except Hook could help laughing as the movie Hook fell and had his pants ripped off as the crocodile almost ate him, then proceeded to bang his head against the door of the cave several times as he tried to escape.

'You do all remember that isn't the real me?" he reminded them. Everyone reassured him they did,. He reminded them again that he wasn't the guy with the perm as the movie version of him used Tinkerbelle to find the Lost Boy's hideout, although there were no complaints when he tried to put a bomb in Pan's home.

"We should have really tried that," he commented.

"Wouldn't have worked," Rumple reminded him. "Not in Neverland. Nice thought though."

Of course, Tinkerbelle saved him, and Pan got her out of the rubble.

"Don't you understand Tink? You mean more to me than anything in the world!" He lamented.

"Wrong. He's the only one who ever meant anything to himself."

For just one brief moment Killian looked uneasy. His own father had left him.

It wasn't long until the last big fight between Pan and Hook. Rumple winced as Hook called Pan out on being a coward, flying rather than fighting fairly. Having a coward for a father and being stuck with the label of coward himself was something he'd never been able to escape from. Surprisingly, the pirate made no remark.

"Not going to say something along the lines of like father like son?"

"Oh I still think you're a coward, and I'm not afraid to say so. I wouldn't say in runs in the family though, and insult your son and grandson. Never saw any cowardice in them."

He could live with that. At least his family wasn't being insulted.

Being the villain of the story, of course Hook lost the fight, and was forced to say he was a codfish. No one made any remarks this time since they'd all wanted Pan to lose even though Hook was the villain. Wendy was returned safely to London ("As if he'd actually let her go," Rumple had remarked.) And the movie ended. Henry was smiling as he took the dvd out.

"For just a few seconds, you two actually did it! You were actually not at each other's throats." It was a temporary truce, he knew, but it was a start. "We should do this again sometime. A get together I mean. Not so sure movies are a good idea."

'So, there's actually a movie like this for all of us?" Hook asked.

"Most of the people in my book, yes. I have a few. Never watched them since realizing all of them were true though. Mostly they're all wrong."

"I'd like to see the others sometime," the pirate said.

"That might not be a good idea," Henry said, thinking of how one of his moms and his grandma would react to one of his dvds his adopted mother never knew he had, Snow White.


	2. watching Snow White

Henry had a feeling this wasn't going to go well. His grandpa and Killian had survived watching Peter Pan (Killian's idea) during their last family get together, and now that they'd seen that movie, more of his family wanted to watch the ones about them. Now, Henry, both his moms, Rumple, Killian, David, and Mary Margaret were all gathered to watch Snow White. Regina was prepared, knowing this movie wouldn't show the best of her, but she hadn't expected even the opening narration to be against her before she was even onscreen. The book opened, and the camera zoomed in on the first page.

 _Once upon a time, there lived a lovely little princess named Snow White._

"Little? Am I a child in this?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Actually I think you're supposed to be fourteen in this," Henry told her.

That was only the first inaccuracy, but it was only the beginning as they read on.

 _Her vain and wicked stepmother the Queen feared that someday Snow White's beauty would surpass her own. So she dressed the little princess in rags and forced her to work as a scullery maid. Each day the vain Queen consulted her magic mirror. "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" And as long as the mirror answered "You are the fairest one of all," Snow White was safe from the Queen's cruel jealousy."_

"Okay, this was never about jealousy, I never did that, and vain?" Regina asked. "Everyone believes this whole thing was about looks? I asked Sidney things, but that was never one of them. Who do they think I am, Captain Guyliner over there?"

"Hey!" Killian objected.

"Well, you are actually vain at times," Emma told him. Rumple didn't bother trying to hide his smirk.

"No one asked your opinion, Crocodile."

"Will both of you shut up?" Regina asked, exasperated.

Finally getting past the opening, the Queen appeared. Regina's eyes widened.

"What the hell am I wearing?"

"Vain," Killian whispered. The next thing he knew he was hanging from the ceiling by his hook. Rumple looked on approvingly.

"Nice touch, Regina, but a chandelier would look better. I can turn him into one of you want."

"Will you just shut up and get me down, Crocodile?"

"Now why would I do that?"

Emma was giving him a death glare.

"If you want him down so bad, Dearie, get him down yourself. You do actually have magic." Sometimes he swore she forgot that. Seconds later the pirate was back on the sofa, and they continued. They managed to get through the Queen being told Snow White was more beautiful than her, and a brief moment of Snow scrubbing the steps before she went to get more water and started talking to the birds.

"I do actually have a way with birds but is that really supposed to be me? I do not sound like that."

"Not too well drawn either," David noted. "They could have put as much work into drawing the people as they did the background."

The movie Snow leaned closer to the birds and whispered "Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell?"

"Talk about ironic," Regina grimaced.

"I was ten," Mary Margaret said quickly. "I didn't think anyone was going to get killed."

"When Henry was ten he figured out how to track down his birth mother through a closed adoption, and used your credit card to go get her," Regina pointed out, but didn't bring up the old hurt beyond that except to ask "Is Daniel in this at all?"

Henry shook his head. "No one ever heard a version of the story where he even existed. Sorry, Mom."

She sighed. "Don't be. It's probably better."

The movie went on. The secret turned out to be the well was a wishing well, and Snow started singing a song about wishing for her true love to find her. David wrapped an arm around her., and they both smiled thinking of how they always did find each other. They both agreed a better voice could have been used for the singing though. Then Prince Charming came on screen.

"Are they going to have any of us looking right?" David asked.

"And if you'd snuck up on me like that at our first meeting, you would have ended up with an arrow in you," Mary Margaret added.

The prince serenaded Snow as she looked on from the tower. It was a sweet moment, but not one Regina cared for.

"Can we fast forward through all this extreme sweetness before it gives me a cavity?"

There were no objections, and the next scene was the Queen telling the Huntsman to kill Snow White.

"Ok, at least that part is halfway right," Regina said, but everyone, her included, felt uncomfortable. She honestly did regret killing Graham, like so many other things, but there was no undoing it now. It eased things that once again, the movie version looked nothing like the real him. Of course, as in real life, he spared her. Although her running off into the woods was shown differently.

"So, the trees are coming alive? Is that supposed to be Regina's magic, or this part of the forest is just that way on it's own?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Well, it is the Enchanted Forest," Rumple reminded them.

"Actually," Henry told them, "It's just that she's so afraid she's imagining things being worse than they are."

"I'm that afraid just being in the forest? I don't have a bow and arrows or know how to defend myself?"

Sure enough, all the frightening eyes staring at her were revealed to be just animals, and, after a sweet song of course, they led her to a cottage.

"And now I'm just going inside uninvited? Well, at least I'm cleaning to pay for my keep."

By now everyone realized it was the Dwarfs home, and as it was cleaned there was yet another song.

"I like music as much as anyone, but does there really have to be a song every two seconds?" Regina complained.

"Actually, the Dwarfs usually do whistle while working," Mary Margaret said. "They love mining that much. Any work, really."

After yet more musical numbers, the Dwarfs came home and found Snow White trying to sleep. After introductions, Grumpy warned the others not to let her stay because of the Evil Queen.

"She's an old witch!"

"Old?" Regina asked. "Now that I take offense to. And no, that does not make me vain."

"I'm telling you, she's full of black magic," Grumpy continued. "She could even make herself invisible."

Everyone looked at Regina and she answered the unspoken question.

"Actually, I can't," she admitted. "Whenever I wanted to see something secretly I used the mirror, or a glamour spell to disguise myself if I wanted to see in person."

The Dwarfs all agreed to let Snow stay once she told them she would cook for them, especially when she said she could make apple dumplings.

"Really I'm not that good of a cook, especially with apples," Mary Margaret said. '"I don't think any of us are ever going to eat anything with apples in it ever again anyway."

"Apples are good. And you know I'm not going to try putting anyone under a sleeping curse again," Regina said. Especially after what nearly happened to Henry, she silently added, wishing she could forget that ever happened.

The movie continued with Snow making the Dwarfs clean up before supper, with them singing (sort of) as they did.

"Surprise surprise, another silly song," Regina groaned.

Finally they got to the point where she found out the Huntsman had tricked her, and went storming off to go after Snow White herself. The magic involved in her transformation to disguise herself frustrated both Regina and Rumple since they both knew magic didn't work that way.

"Those aren't even real ingredients for a potion," Regina complained. "And if I was worried about my looks, that wouldn't be the disguise I'd go for."

Rumple chuckled, and everyone looked at him.

"I was remembering the time you asked me to disguise you using a shape shifting spell. That didn't exactly turn out the way you'd hoped."

"Only because you didn't show up when I called for you."

Rumple smiled remembering what he'd been busy with at the time. That was right around the time he'd first met Belle, the very, very early days of first getting to know each other.

The film went from drama to comedy every few moments, and as soon as the transformation from Queen to old hag was over, it switched to Snow and the Dwarfs having a fun evening. They were playing music- again. This was starting to get beyond annoying for Regina as the song seemed to drag on.

"Ho hum, the tune is dumb. The words don't mean a thing. Isn't this a silly song for anyone to sing?" they sang.

"I agree. The tune is dumb," Regina commented. "Next time I want to curse someone, it will be to listen to the soundtrack to this thing day and night. No wait, even I'm more merciful than that."

When the musical part of the party ended, and the Dwarfs asked Snow to tell them a story.

"How much do you want to bet she tells it in song?" Regina asked.

"I'll actually take that bet," Hook told her. "They just had a song."

"What does the winner get?"

"Hmm, looser has to look like the movie version of themselves for a week, with you being the disguised old version? That's only fair, since the way I look in the movie is worse than the way the movie normally shows you."

"Fine. We have a bet then."

Emma and Henry, who'd both seen the movie before, tried to warn him, but he and Regina both said it wouldn't be fair to be told now.

The story started with Snow telling of meeting Charming and falling in love.

"I'm going to win," Hook said.

"Just give it a few seconds."

"Anyone could see that the prince was charming, the only one for me," the movie Snow started describing her true love.

Mary Margaret smiled softly and snuggled into David, remembering when she'd given him that nickname at their first meeting. That was when the music started.

"Oh no!"

Regina smirked, and Snow began singing 'Someday my Prince will come." Hook quietly tried backing out of the room, but Rumple grabbed him.

"You're not the kind of man to welch on a bet, are you Captain? Now either Regina changes you or I do, and I'll make it permanent."

So Hook grimaced as the spell was cast, and spent the rest of the movie running his fingers through his new perm and trying to make his mustache look less waxed.

When the song ended, there was actually part that even Regina had to laugh at. The Dwarfs insisted Snow use their beds, and they'd sleep downstairs. Once Snow was upstairs they proceeded to fight over the one pillow they had. Dopey ended up with the only feather left after they ripped the pillow apart. There was a brief scene of Snow praying, especially for Grumpy to like her, and then a clip of the Dwarfs curled up in carious places. Snow would have felt bad at taking their beds if this had been what happened, but the cartoon version was pretty funny.

The film switched back to the apple being poisoned with the sleeping curse, and the Evil Queen going to the cottage to wait for the Dwarfs to leave. When they did, each one warned Snow to be careful, including Grumpy, who she gave an extra long kiss on the head. That resulted in him looking like a love struck teenager for a few moments. David got a funny look on his face. When they were all gone, Snow was shown making pies, and the one she was working on ended up having Grumpy's name on it.

"You seem- especially concerned about Grumpy." David commented.

Mary Margaret looked at him a moment before understanding hit.

"You're actually jealous because of a cartoon version of events that happened completely differently in real life? And even in the movie it's just trying to win over someone and be friendly."

"Well, you did spend a lot of time together."

"David, it's like having seven older brothers."

"I do have to say, Grumpy is probably my least favorite of your friends," Regina said, remembering the time she'd brought lasagna to a celebration and he'd asked her if the secret ingredient was poison. She couldn't blame him given her past, but it had still stung.

Of course, everyone knew what would happen next, Snow being offered the apple and biting it, falling asleep seemingly forever. Now it was Mary Margaret's turn to be offended.

"So, supposedly I was dumb enough to just fall for that? No threats if I didn't eat it? Even being told it was a magic wishing apple I wouldn't have fallen for that."

"It's way worse in the Grimms' version." Henry told her. "She actually tried to kill you three times. The apple was her last try. The first time was with a corset, and the second time with a comb."

She grimaced, but sat back and watched the rest of the movie. No one said a word about how things had really happened when she'd bitten the apple. No one wanted to relive it, and in the grand scheme of things it had been a minor incident compared to everything else that had happened, no matter how the movie showed it.

The Dwarfs all rushed to the rescue after the animals warned them. They were too late to stop Snow from biting the apple, but they were able to chase the Evil Queen to the edge of a cliff. She tried tipping a boulder over on them with a stick.

"If things had really happened like this, wouldn't you have used magic?" Emma asked.

"Depends on how I'd really disguised myself," Regina answered. "A glamour charm only changes how people see you, but a shape shifting spell blocks other magic."

The edge of the cliff gave way when lightning struck it, and the Evil Queen was crushed by falling rocks as two vultures circled downward.

"Perfect. I'm buzzard chow. Whatever happened to this Disney guy anyway?"

"I asked the same thing when we watched Peter Pan," Hook told her. "He died years back."

"Lucky for him," Regina muttered under her breath.

The end was what they all knew. The Dwarfs grieved believing Snow dead, but they all knew the Prince was about to show up. Words came on screen to describe his search.

 _The Prince, who had searched far and wide, heard of the maiden who slept in the glass coffin._

"You did have help," Rumple reminded David.

"I do have to admit, finding her would have been much harder without that ring."

Snow woke, the Prince carried her off, and the movie ended. Henry looked at Regina.

"Sorry, Mom. I know it doesn't show you how you really are or things how they happened."

Regina shrugged. "At least we know what really happened and that I've done my best to change. And I do get some consolation." She smirked at Hook.

"It wasn't a fair bet."

"Yes it was. Neither of us had seen this before. I didn't know for sure any more than you did. Relax. In a week you'll be back to normal."

It was time for everyone to go home. It took forever to convince Hook to go out in public looking like he did. Rumple was the last to leave.

"You know Grandpa, there is a movie about you and Belle, if you really want to see it. You don't exactly look the best in it either though, but it does have a happy ending for you."

"I've already been drawn as an actual crocodile. I think I can handle however this one has me looking."

So Henry handed him a copy of Beauty and the Beast. This business of everyone seeing themselves in the Disney movies was getting interesting.


	3. watching Beauty and the Beast

"Killian come on! No one's going to say a word." Emma Swan had to drag the pirate into the house. He hadn't been seen in public since losing the bet to Regina and being forced to look like the Disney version of himself. She had to pull him by the hook since his hand was covering his face. "It isn't even that bad."

"Have you gone blind Swan? Look at me!"

"Oh get over it," Regina snapped. "It's only for another day, and it was a perfectly fair bet."

It had become a weekend ritual by now for everyone to watch the Disney movies that supposedly told their stories. More people joined every week. So far they had watched Peter Pan, and Snow White. This week was Beauty and the Beast. Besides Killian and Emma, Henry, Regina, David, Rumple, and Belle were all gathered. The Dark One was already scowling at the cover image.

"That's honestly supposed to be me?"

"At least you get to be over four foot for once," Hook told him.

"You know I could always make that spell on you permanent."

The pirate didn't say another word, and they put the movie in. The dvd wouldn't let them fast forward through the previews, but Rumple magically skipped the dvd ahead. Then the movie began, zooming in through a forest to a castle as the narrator spoke.

"Once upon a time, in a far away land, a young prince lived in a shining castle."

Rumple was thinking this would probably take awhile to get to him and Belle. He wasn't young or a prince.

"Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.'

Again, a long ways from the way he'd spent his time before becoming the Dark One. He'd hardly been spoiled, struggling to get by. He knew he had more than his share of faults, but he didn't think of himself as selfish. Yes, he'd pushed major moral boundaries to reach this world, and his magic always came with a price, but that was more to do with the laws of magic than his choice. If a price wasn't agreed on, the forces of magic found a way of taking payment, and that never ended well. He gave when he could. He would never have ended up the Dark One if he hadn't stopped to give to Zoso. Although he certainly didn't regret that since it had saved Bae from being taken to war. He certainly didn't mind having all that power to protect his loved ones and himself either.

The narrator went on to explain that the prince was transformed into a Beast because he refused to help a beggar who turned out to be an enchantress. That was when Rumple started seeing the parallels. It had been because he HAD helped a beggar who turned out to be someone with magic in disguise that he ended up going after the dagger in the first place. Having that power had cost him much. Years searching desperately for his son, and the fight with Belle that had ended up with him believing she was dead for so many years. Still, he wouldn't have changed becoming the Dark One. If he hadn't, Bae would have been dead at the age of fourteen. Henry would never have been born, and he would never have met Belle.

"Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle-"

"He thinks he has it bad," Hook grumbled.

At that Emma glared at Hook, wordlessly telling him to take the hint and get over what he had to look like for now. Belle looked at Rumple too, remembering how he hadn't even let the curtains be open at first when she'd come to stay at his castle.

'You really did shut yourself away."

"It wasn't about the scaly skin," he told her. "I could have easily concealed that." He wouldn't say it in front of the others, but it had been a mix of things. Part of it was guilt and sorrow over what had happened with Bae. Part of it was fear. The figurative walls he'd built up after his father, Milah, and Cora had turned their backs on him had become literal walls.

The opening finished by explaining the Beast would have to love someone and win her love by the time the last petal fell on an enchanted rose, which would bloom until he turned twenty one.

"As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a Beast?"

The words Rumple had once shouted at her rang in Belle's ears.

" _No one, no one could ever, ever love me!"_

"I was going to come back," she told him. "When you had me leave the castle. If I hadn't been stopped, I was going to come back."

"I know that wasn't your fault," He glared at Regina, but let the subject drop, putting an arm around Belle as she leaned into him. A part of his brain still kept telling him Belle would never stay with him forever.

Now the movie finally got to Belle. Apparently they had her history all wrong, showing her as a girl living in a small town rather than the castle she'd lived in when Rumple had met her. He narrowed his eyes at how everyone in town was making fun of her for loving reading. He did vaguely remember telling her once she read too much, but he'd been angry over being stolen from at the time. He hadn't meant it. He had to say except for her background they were showing her well so far, with both her love of travel and reading, and eagerness for adventure.

"Oh isn't this amazing?" the movie Belle sang, pointing out part of the book to a sheep. "It's my favorite part because you'll see, here's where she meets Prince Charming-"

At that everyone looked at David, and no one could help laughing at the idea that in the movie Belle was reading a book about them. The mood changed though when Gaston came on screen. Both Rumple and Belle grimaced.

"Here in town there's only she who is beautiful as me," Gaston sang.

"I think I may be ill for the first time in three hundred years," Rumple muttered under his breath.

"So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle," Gaston finished his line, and Rumple almost laughed.

 _Good luck with that. The only way she ever liked you was as a rose. Actually, thinking of it that way I did you a favor._

"You had a choice between the Crocodile and some other man, _any_ other man, and you still chose him?" Hook asked. Belle glared.

"Gaston was shallow and rude, and conceited, not to mention cruel. It was going to be an arranged marriage, and I was glad to get out of it." Then she was quiet a moment, realizing something. 'I actually haven't thought of him in forever. I wonder whatever happened to him. I never got the chance to ask about him after I left Rumple's castle. I ended up helping Philip and was locked away shortly after that. I wonder why I haven't run into him in Storybrooke."

"Would you want to?" Rumple couldn't hide his concern that maybe she would.

"No, just curious about what happened."

Rumple shrugged. "Not everyone in the Enchanted Forest ended up in Storybrooke, like Aurora and Philip. And when you think about how many stories are in that book of Henry's, it's not surprising we haven't run into everyone yet."

"Sounds like someone is trying to cover something," Hook noted. Belle was looking at Rumple suspiciously now.

"It is strange he never came to the castle to find me. As much as I didn't like him, please tell me you didn't hurt him."

"I can honestly tell you I didn't," he assured her. Being turned into a rose hadn't been painful. At least, he didn't expect it had been. Having part of his stem cut off would have hurt, but Belle had been the one to do that. So he hadn't actually hurt Gaston. Technically.

The movie continued with Gaston trying to convince Belle to come to the tavern and see his trophies, while three blonde girls fawned over him. Luckily Belle was able to make the excuse of needing to help her father. It was a twist having him be an inventor, and as they watched Rumple wished Belle's father was like that. He still hated Rumple, and resented her choice to be with the man she loved. Rumple figured Belle must have inherited her warmth and kindness from he mother.

Unfortunately, after Maurice got his invention to work he ended up lost at the castle after being chased by wolves. Even though the castle looked like the last place someone would want to be, a talking candelabra showed Maurice in and did his best to make him at home, despite protests from the clock.

"So I get to be some type of animal in every version of my story, and for some reason I have living objects that used to be people in my home?" Although he supposed that wasn't such a stretch from the truth. He did have an incredible assortment of magical objects collected over three hundred years, and yes some of them were transformed people. None of them were alive and capable of talking or moving though. Certainly the cup wasn't, but he and Belle shared a knowing look when Chip came onscreen.

"What is it with you two and that cup?" Regina asked. Neither of them answered, knowing that was something sacred between the two of them.

Maurice looked like he was getting too comfortable as he drank his tea. Rumple had a feeling this would be where he came in, and it wouldn't be good. The Beast came on screen, huge, terrifying, and without any personality trait except anger. It was a dismal scene when the Beast dragged Maurice away to the dungeon. He was about to protest that he'd never locked Maurice in any dungeon, but knew it wouldn't help. He had beaten him to a pulp when he'd stolen the cup, and there had been a brief time when he had locked Belle in the dungeon. The only protest he could make was to say that wasn't how it had happened.

It was a relief when the movie went back to Belle. Gaston came to her house to propose and acting less civilized than the Beast, only to end up in the mud, Rumple couldn't help laughing at that, and wishing Belle had actually done that at some point. There wasn't time to enjoy the lighthearted moment though, since it was soon after that Belle found out her father was in trouble, and went searching for him with the help of her horse. Anyone who knew Belle knew what she would do next, offering herself up in her father's place.

Both he and Belle were naturally thinking of when they'd first met. He didn't dare look at her. He hadn't held her father captive, but he had named her as the price for saving her people. Yes she'd been free to refuse, but the alternative was everyone she cared about being slaughtered by the ogres. And instead of showing her to a room the way the Beast did, he'd left her locked up for the first several days without even a pillow. As the movie Belle wept on her bed, Rumple closed his eyes remembering how Belle had been so brave going with him, but had sobbed constantly at first after she was separated from her family. He didn't even know how to say he was sorry. Normally he was never slow on coming up with a witty remark, but now he couldn't even seem to make his mouth work to get out an apology.

"If I could undo it-" he finally got out.

"You changed since then," she said quietly. "With all that's happened since then, if you could change things, I wouldn't want you to."

He let out a shaky breath at that, and Belle took his hand. That was when the scene changed to Gaston throwing a tantrum because Belle had refused to marry him, and everyone cheering him up by telling him all the things no one did like him.

 _No one gets turned into a rose like Gaston_ Rumple thought with a smirk.

Maurice came in begging for help, but no one at the tavern believed his story. However, it did give Gaston an idea for using Maurice to force Belle to marry him.

'That was one thing I could never stand," Belle said angrily. "Everyone trying to push me into one decision or another. It would never have worked if he'd done that."

Rumple wasn't so sure. Yes, the thing Belle hated most was people telling her what to do, but she would do anything for the people she loved. The mood lifted considerably when the movie Belle came out of her room, and was served dinner by all the castle servants. Rumple quickly pointed out that he had never denied Belle food the way the Beast did. The song that went with it would be entertaining to children he supposed, but it didn't really advance the story. Then things picked up quickly once Belle went into the forbidden west wing.

There had never been any area of the castle he'd forbidden Belle to go, but he remembered she did have a habit of letting her curiosity get together, like when he'd briefly left her alone to go to Camelot and found out she'd been into his things. He'd never exploded with anger at her though, except for when she'd freed Robin, and when she'd kissed him and nearly broken the curse on him. He'd regretted that as soon as she was out of the castle, but he couldn't have lost his powers. He still couldn't. At the time he'd needed them to find Bae, but even now, he needed the magic as badly as he would need his cane if his powers were gone. Both were crutches for him. As the Beast caught Belle and ordered her out, Rumple grimaced.

"When I had you leave, I thought you were working for Regina, that you were trying to leave me powerless. It's not an excuse, and I should never have gotten angry with you. I was sorry ever since. I should have gone after you right away."

Belle wished he would have. It was strange having all those old memories brought back. She knew what had happened of course, but hadn't dwelt on those memories.

It was a good thing for Belle that in the movie the Beast did follow her, because he ended up saving her from a wolf attack, being hurt himself. In real life he could have stopped the wolves so much easier, but as he watched the scene he thought again how he would never let anything or anyone hurt Belle, at any cost. Instead of ever saving her though, he thought how she was the one who saved him, helping him hold onto the delicate balance between good and evil inside him.

Belle helped treat the Beast's wounds, and that was the turning point in their relationship. The Beast repaid her by giving her a library, and the real Belle smiled at the memory of when Rumple had given her libraries both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke.

"That was the best gift anyone ever gave me."

Hook shook his head as Belle laid her head on Rumple's shoulder. He'd never understand why she loved someone like him.

The movie showed Belle and the Beast becoming closer. Rumple scowled at the Beast's attempts at eating breakfast with Belle, getting what looked like hot cereal all over, but no one except Hook could help smiling when the two raised their bowls, drinking from them together, compromising. Then the music started.

"There's something sweet, and almost kind. But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined. And now he's dear, and so unsure. I wonder why I didn't see it there before." Rumple thought to himself that was because Belle created good in him as everyone kept singing about there being something there that wasn't there before.

The Beast was shown getting ready for a romantic evening with Belle in the next clip, but said he couldn't confess his love.

"I never thought about it before, but I'm always the one to say I love you first," Belle pointed out. Rumple had never felt like he could say it first, that she would say it back as many times as she did say it first.

"You know that I do though."

Then next scene was truly beautiful, the two of them having a romantic dinner before Belle lead the Beast onto the dance floor. Rumple smiled remembering his and Belle's dance after they were married. The music in the movie was beautiful, and it was hard not to get swept up in the romance of it. Even Killian was starting to get over having to look like he did, and was holding Emma. The words of the song went through Rumple's mind.

"Barely even friends. Then somebody bends unexpectedly."

He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he'd fallen in love with her. Whether it had been when she embraced him for sparing Robin, when he'd caught her when she fell from the ladder, or just when they'd started to have real conversations. It had been very unexpected.

"Both a little scared," _more than a little_ , Rumple thought. "Neither one prepared " He certainly hadn't been.

"Tale as old as time, tune as old as song. Bittersweet and strange finding you can change, learning you were wrong."

He had changed a lot since Belle had come into his life. He still wouldn't hesitate to do what he had to, still wouldn't give up his power, but he had softened. He had let love heal him, even if not completely. And he could look back and realize when he'd been wrong. Yes, it had been bittersweet and strange, facing his own darkness and learning to open his heart again. His thoughts were interrupted when Belle leaned her head into the Beast as they danced, and the real Belle kissed Rumple. Both Rumple and his animated counterpart had the same expression of delight. Maybe this Disney person wasn't so bad.

The perfection of the moment was too good to last, and when the Beast asked Belle if she was happy, she said yes, only she wished she could see her father again. When the Beast let her look in the magic mirror and she saw he was very sick, he let her go. Rumple wished now he would have let her go for a good reason, and not because she had tried to break a curse he didn't want broken.

It wasn't long before Gaston made good on his threat, and Belle had to show them the Beast was real to keep her father from being locked up. That led to an angry mob being formed to go after the Beast

"The Beast will make off with your children!" Gaston shouted. "He'll come after them in the night!" A few lines later in the mob song the villagers mentioned again they were afraid of him taking their children.

"All right yes I made deals for children!" Rumple said, angry at the film for the first time. "But not one of them was ever hurt. They all ended up in safe homes with better care than undeserving parents who were willing to give them up would have given them."

David looked uncomfortable since his own brother had been traded in a deal with Rumple.

"James didn't turn out so well," he pointed out. "And our mother was desperate."

"Then she should have made a deal with me herself. And it was Jame's own arrogance and stupidity that got him killed. He lived a good life until then."

David couldn't really argue with that as much as he wished he could. He'd never gotten to know James, but they were still brothers.

"You don't seem very upset at the idea of an angry mob coming to kill you," Regina noted as the mob song continued.

"I never tried to win any popularity contest, Dearie. And if this would have happened, it would have been easy enough to protect myself."

However, the Beast didn't have a son to give him the will to go on without Belle, and didn't fight back until Belle made it back to the castle. Both Belle and Rumple were smiling at the fact that their chipped cup had been the one to save the day and help Belle return. Then, just when it seemed like the worst was over, Gaston stabbed the Beast in the back, falling to his own death in the process. The Beast lay apparently dying Rumple thought how that was another detail they had right. The beast was stabbed, and the dagger was the only thing that could kill him. He wasn't too shaken by the scene since obviously he really was fine, but Belle had an arm around him now, and from her expression she was thinking about what would happen if he really were killed. He held her closer, and she smiled up at him.

Instead of being happy at the ending though, she looked thoughtful and almost sad. Rumple knew why. There had been no transformation for him. He was a tamed Beast, but a Beast nonetheless. He would never turn into the prince, as much as he loved her. Everyone said what a good movie that one actually was, with Killian seeming to take a lesson from it and not hesitating to walk out with Emma holding his arm. Yet Rumple and Belle were silent until they were at the doorway of their home.

"Belle, I wish I could be the person you dream of. You know why the curse wasn't broken when you kissed me, why it was never broken with any kiss we shared since then."

She nodded. "Because you don't see it as a curse."

"I can't see having the power to stand up for myself, to protect the people I love, as a bad thing. I couldn't even keep my son safe before I became the Dark One. I would never have met you if people didn't want to make deals with me. I would be just an ordinary man, just the coward who's only choice in life is which corner to hide in. I can't go back to that."

"I don't want you to be helpless, or feel like you have no choices. But I think that's the real curse, the real problem with the magic. You use it to solve every problem, and you forget the magic isn't who you are. The darkness isn't you."

"The darkness was in me long before I had magic, Belle. But you fell in love with me when I was at my darkest. You did transform me, even if the curse wasn't lifted. Having the power, being possessed by it, made me a Beast, but you made me remember I'm also a man. You saved the good in me from being lost forever. I love the power, but I love you too, and I never want to lose that part of me."

Belle thought back on the movie version of her. Rumple was right. Both in the movie and in real life, she had fallen in love with the Beast, never even thinking he could ever be a prince at first. She kissed him, and for just one moment Rumple was tempted to give in, to be the prince for her. In the end he couldn't do it. The beast would be the Beast a little longer. Perhaps Belle would stop seeing that there was also a man in him someday. He wouldn't blame her if she did choose to go. She'd already stayed far longer than he'd expected. He should be grateful for that. He didn't know how he would ever say goodbye when she did decide to go. For now though, she was with him, and he couldn't feel more like a prince.


	4. watching Robin Hood

For a change this weekend, the others weren't coming to watch a movie together. This time it was just Regina and Robin. The two decided to watch the Disney version of his life. They'd already read one of the books supposedly about him, and had laughed at the many differences from the real story. This promised to hold a good many laughs too.

"Why am I a fox?" Robin asked, studying the dvd cover.

"Apparently Disney had a thing for making people into animals. Gold's been a crocodile and a beast so far."

Robin chuckled. "So I suppose I got off lucky being a fox."

They put the movie in, and it began the way Snow White had, with a book setting up the plot and introducing the characters. Only it mentioned a King Richard and Prince John, who Robin had never even heard of much less interacted with. It made more sense when the credits showed the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin had met him, and no one who knew the Sheriff liked him. As the credits showed him and Marian, Regina winced slightly, but the moment passed as the credits continued.

For some reason a rooster was telling the story. Robin understood once he introduced himself as Alan a Dale, one of his real Merry Men. Alan started singing a song the way a minstrel would, as Robin and Little John came to a log bridge, each encouraging the other to cross first.

"I think I know what they're remembering," Robin said, laughing. "The first time we met, neither one of us wanted to let the other cross the bridge first. We ended up fighting with longstaffs. Let's just say it's a good thing I can swim."

It was hard for Regina to imagine Robin had lost that fight even with John being so big, but then she remembered Robin once told her no one joined the Merry Men unless they could beat him at something. He was skilled, but it was as a leader of his men that he was at his absolute best.

Both Robin and Little John ended up in the water in the movie, and were having fun until the Sheriff's men showed up. Naturally they escaped, but even the movie's Robin admitted it was a close call. As they watched it became obvious the movie Robin was more reckless than the real Robin. It made Regina nervous. Her Robin wasn't exactly reckless, but he still would never back down when it came to doing the right thing. She could easily imagine him getting hurt in some noble cause.

The comedy of the movie soon took her mind off it. Prince John was shown, and it was impossible not to laugh at how babyish he was, right down to sucking his thumb. It was even more funny when Robin and Little John showed up to rob him dressed as gypsies- lady gypsies.

"I never was good at disguise, but I was never that bad either," Robin had to chuckle.

They both found themselves laughing at how easy it was to rob he evil monarch and his sidekick, Sir Hiss. They even took the jewels from his rings by pretending to kiss his hand, and by the time they were done they'd taken everything Prince John had right down to his underwear. He and Hiss were left in the mud, with Prince John crying for his mother.

"I only wish robbing from the rich had been that easy," Robin managed to get out between the laughter.

The movie continued showing Robin helping the poor, along with the help of Friar Tuck, as the Sheriff took from them. The Sheriff took the gold Robin sent an injured blacksmith before they could do him any good, but Robin helped make one rabbit boy, Skippy's, birthday very special by giving him his own bow and hat, and giving the boy's mother a bag of money to support her family.

Skippy lost no time in going outside to try out his new bow, and ended up shooting an arrow right over the castle wall. There was no problem though, since Prince John wasn't around. Maid Marian was there, along with her lady and waiting, and soon they were playing with Skippy and the other children. Regina might have been bothered, but Robin took that moment to remind her how good she herself was with children.

"You know Roland took to you right away."

Regina smiled at that. She was fast becoming as close to Roland as she was Henry.

The scene changed to show Robin stirring something in a kettle, but he was too busy daydreaming to pay attention to cooking. Soon the food was burnt because he'd been thinking of Maid Marian. When Little John tried to convince him to just marry her already and be done with it, Robin protested a thief could never marry a high born lady.

"I think that's why maybe it wasn't really meant to be that we meet at that tavern," Robin told Regina quietly. "Back then, I would have been sure it could never work. I wouldn't have wanted to take the woman I love and bring her down from Queen to a thief's wife."

"You were never just an ordinary thief," Regina told him. He gave her a look that told her she was never just the Evil Queen either.

It wasn't a question of if Robin and Marian would get together in the movie. It was just a question of when, and Friar Tuck chose that moment to tell the heroes about an archery tournament. The prize would be a golden arrow, and a kiss from Marian. That was all it took to have Robin literally spinning cartwheels despite Little John warning him there would be soldiers everywhere. It was obviously a trap, but the love sick fox couldn't see it.

 _Here we go,_ Regina thought grimly. She wasn't looking forward to seeing more of Robin and Marian, but the archery tournament itself was good. Naturally, Robin won, although he laughed at splitting the arrow.

"Maybe I could have done that with a quality arrow, but that stick I'm using for an arrow in the movie would never have split any well made arrow."

Things were a bit easier then, laughing at how wrong the movie was about things the way they had about the book of Robin's life. The laughter didn't last, because Robin's skill as an archer was what made Prince John see through his disguise. The fox was tied up before he had a chance to fight, and Marian pleaded for his life. When Prince John asked why he should, she told him because she loved Robin.

"And does this prisoner return your love?"

The movie Robin answered the way Regina knew the real Robin would have if that had happened.

"Marian, my darling, I love you more than life itself."

Robin took Regina's hand. "I did. And that's why it took a woman like you to let me love like that again."

He knew what she'd needed to hear, and she felt the sting to her heart let up.

For a moment, it seemed as if Prince John would let Robin go, but then he announced "But traitors to the crown must di-"

"Traitor the crown?" the movie Robin interrupted. "That crown belongs to King Richard! _LONG LIVE KING RICHARD_!"

Robin looked proud of his movie self, but Regina facepalmed.

"Not the thing to say to him when he's about to kill you."

Robin shrugged. "It isn't as if someone like that would have spared me anyway, and if I'm going to die I may as well die standing up for a cause."

Regina grimaced. She loved Robin so much, but she could only hope he wouldn't do something heroically stupid and get himself taken from her. She didn't think she could handle a loss like that again. She wished then she hadn't created Storybrooke, taken everyone to a world where happy endings weren't guaranteed. At least in the movie Robin was going to be safe no matter what. Little John forced Prince John to release him, and soon everything went crazy as they fought to get away. As Robin battled, he asked Marian to marry him, and they started planning their future.

"We'll have six children," Robin decided.

"Six? Oh a dozen at least!" Marian answered.

Regina had told Robin she couldn't give him children once, and he's only kissed her and said Roland already adored her, and she was a great mother to Henry, so they already had a family as long as Henry accepted him. Regina knew her son had no problems with the man in his mother's life.

The scene after that was the hardest for Regina to watch. Robin lead Marian on a romantic stroll to his hideaway, and a soft romantic song was playing.

" _Life is brief, but when it's gone, love goes on and on."_

At that line, Regina stopped the movie and had to leave the room. She didn't want Robin to see the tears in her eyes. Of course, he was right behind her.

"Regina, I'm sorry. We don't have to watch this. I should have known it would show Marian and I like that."

She shook her head.

"That's not the problem. I was jealous when we thought Zelena was her, but I can't be upset that you're always going to love her. I'm always going to love Daniel too. But they're both gone, and we're still here."

"Then what is it?"

She took a breath.

"Marian is dead because of me."

He held her.

"Zelena killed her. That wasn't your fault."

"But Zelena only found her because Emma and her pirate boyfriend rescued her from where I was holding her until she could be executed."

Robin shook his head.

"The Evil Queen did that."

She pulled away.

"It isn't that easy to separate her from myself."

"You already did," Robin told her. "The Evil Queen wouldn't have saved Roland the way you did when we first met. She wouldn't have helped the wife of the man she loved. She wouldn't have become friends with people she hated. I don't believe the Evil Queen even exists anymore."

He was wrong. Regina felt her evil self. She'd come close to being willing to kill who she thought was Marion. But Robin trusted her. He saw her as just Regina, the woman he loved. Maybe he was right, that she could leave that part of herself behind. Still, she couldn't push away the fear.

"I was a villain though. Villains don't get happy endings."

Taking her face in his hands, Robin kissed her. "Well I'm hoping redeemed villains do, because I think by now our happy endings depend on each other."

She kissed him back, and they sat back down to watch the rest of the movie. The next scene was supposed to be the most fun. The people were together singing a song against Prince John. Robin was thrilled.

"That's how it should be. People standing together against a tyrant."

Regina winced. There was a time she'd been as bad as Prince John. Worse. She could easily imagine people making up a song like that about her. Robin realized his mistake in a second.

"I didn't mean-"

"No, it's all right. You're glad to see things going well for the good guys. There's nothing wrong with that."

He looked at her a long moment, wishing he could help her forgive herself.

Prince John reacted more mildly than she would have. He just increased taxes and had everyone locked up when they couldn't pay. That was a slap on the wrist compared to what the Evil Queen would have done. Things took a turn for the worst once Friar Tuck was arrested. As soon as Prince John knew that, it was easy to set a trap for Robin.

"You're going to rush right in and save him aren't you?" Regina asked

"What else could I have done? I couldn't have let them hang him if that had happened."

Regina made a mental note to knock Robin out and lock him away safely if anyone did try using someone he loved as bait. Luckily, being a hero his safety was assured in the movie. Going back to save the youngest member of the rabbit family almost cost him his life, but he escaped, and King Richard's return set everything right. Soon after, as everyone knew they would, Robin and Marian were married. Neither Robin nor Regina commented on the ending. Of course it was happy for anyone just watching it as a movie, and they'd enjoyed seeing all the good Robin did, but they knew the story became much messier after that.

The next morning, Robin showed up at Regina's door again. He looked like he had been awake all night. He was clearly nervous, but not as if something were wrong.

"May I come in a moment please?"

Regina looked at him, a bit unsettled by how he was acting.

"Yes, of course." He'd been inside her house a million times. Why was this different? They went in and sat on the sofa.

"That movie last night finally convinced me of something," Robin began. "I couldn't help thinking of the real Marian while we were watching, and what we shared." Regina was about to interrupt, but he held up a hand to stop her. "And I know that if it weren't for you, I would have never been able to – to really feel again. Everything since I met you has just felt right. I don't want to ever go back to a life without you in it. So Regina-" He got down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Regina was shaking slightly. She wanted this, a life with him, but how could she take it?

"Robin you don't want to marry the Evil Queen."

"You're right. I don't," he told her. "But I'm not asking her. I'm asking Regina Mills." Then he added gently. "I know all about the past, Regina. There was a time when my face was on a wanted poster right beside Snow White's. But I see no reason to live in the past."

Her eyes stung. Robin was good and honorable and everything any woman could want. Regina knew he was wrong about her though. The Evil Queen was someone she couldn't escape, just bury deep down. But she'd walked away from her chance with him once. Tinkerbelle's words echoed in her mind.

 _You didn't just ruin your life. You ruined his._

"You really want to be married to me?"

He nodded quietly, and she couldn't hold back how happy she was in that moment.

"Then yes!"

It was tempting to use magic to freeze this moment forever. If it hadn't been for believing they had a future, she might have. Robin was really going to be a part of her happy ending.


End file.
